Monday, March 31, 2014

In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lies to a king, telling him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king calls for the girl, shuts her in a tower room filled with straw and a spinning wheel, and demands that she spin the straw into gold by morning or he will cut off her head (other versions have the king threatening to lock her up in a dungeon forever). She has given up all hope until animp-like creature appears in the room and spins the straw into gold for her in return for her necklace. When the king takes the girl on the next morning to a larger room filled with straw to repeat the feat, the imp spins in return for the girl's ring. On thethird day, when the girl has been taken to an even larger room with straw and told by the king that he will marry her if she can fill this room with gold or kill her if she cannot, the girl has nothing left with which to pay the strange creature. He extracts from her a promise that her firstborn child will be given to him, and spins the room full of gold a final time.

The king keeps his promise to marry the miller's daughter, but when their first child is born, the imp returns to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised." The now-queen offers him all the wealth she has if she may keep the child. The imp has no interest in her riches, but finally consents to give up his claim to the child if the queen is able to guess his name within three days. Her many guesses over the first two days fail, but before the final night, her messenger (though he does not know the significance of his mission) comes across the imp's remote mountain cottage and watches, unseen, as the imp hops about his fire and sings. In his song's lyrics, "tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll go to the king's house, nobody knows my name, I'm called Rumpelstiltskin", he reveals his name.[1]

When the imp comes to the queen on the third day and she, after first feigning ignorance, reveals his true name, Rumpelstiltskin, he loses his temper and his bargain. In the 1812 edition of the Brothers Grimm tales, Rumpelstiltskin then "ran away angrily, and never came back." The ending was revised in a final 1857 edition to a more gruesome ending wherein Rumpelstiltskin "in his rage drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then in a passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two." Other versions have Rumpelstiltskin driving his right foot so far into the ground that he creates a chasm and falls into it, never to be seen again. In the oral version originally collected by the brothers Grimm, Rumpelstiltskin flies out of the window on a cooking ladle (Heidi Anne Heiner).

Hungarian Tale:

My name is Emma Orczy. I am also known as Baroness Orczy because my father was a Baron. I was born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, in 1865. Then my family lived in Budapest for a few years. We were very proud of our Hungarian heritage, and often dressed in traditional Hungarian costumes. We also enjoyed Hungarian goulash for many meals.
When I was older, I married a nice man and lived in France. We didn't have much money so we translated some of the very old Hungarian folk tales into French and English. Here's one of my favorite folk stories, called "It's Not True."

Once upon a time there was a Hungarian princess who was very beautiful. One day she announced that she would only marry the man who could tell her father, the king, a story which he could not believe. Now, in a village there dwelt a poor young peasant, who, hearing of this proclamation, went up to the king's palace, and loudly knocking at the gates demanded an audience of His Majesty.The king knew very well what the young fellow wanted, as by that time many princes and knights had come on the same errand, in the hope of winning the beautiful princess, but they had all failed. So John, the young peasant was admitted to the royal presence."Good morning, your Majesty," John said."Good morning, my lad. Well, what do you want?" asked the king, kindly."So please, your Majesty, I want a wife.""Very good, lad; but what would you keep her on?""Oh! I dare say I could manage to keep her pretty comfortably. My father has a pig. A wonderful pig, your Majesty; he has kept my father, my mother, seven sisters, and myself, for the last twenty years.""Indeed!" said the king."He gives us as good a quart of milk every morning as any cow.""Indeed!" said the king."Yes, your Majesty, and lays most delicious eggs for our breakfast.""Indeed!" said the king."And every day my mother cuts a nice bit of bacon out of his side, and every night it grows together again.""Indeed!" said the king."The other day this pig disappeared, my mother looked for him high and low, he was nowhere to be seen.""That was very sad," said the king."Finally, she found him in the larder, catching mice.""A very useful pig!" said the king."Yes, your Majesty, and he pays all the bills out of the gold he picks up on the road.""A very precious pig," said the king."Lately he has seemed unruly, and rather out of sorts.""That's very sad!" said the king."He has refused to go where he is told, and won't allow my mother to have any more bacon from his side. Besides which, your Majesty, he is growing rather blind, and can't see where he is going.""He should be led," said the king."Yes, your Majesty, that is why my father has just engaged your father to look after him.""That's not true," yelled the king . . . then suddenly he remembered his daughter's promise. So he was obliged to allow the princess to marry the peasant's son, but this he never regretted, for the peasant's son became a most clever and amiable young prince, and lived happily with his bride and his father-in-law for very many years. Years after, when John became the king, all his people declared they had never had so wise a ruler. Then it was that he romanced no longer but was always believed and respected.

At eve, the primrose path along,The milkmaid shortens with a songHer solitary way;She sees the fairies with their queenTrip hand-in-hand the circled green,And hears them raise, at times unseen,The ear-enchanting lay.Rev. John Logan: Ode to Spring, 1780

6. Roll the pair of dough circles together into 6- to 7-inch circle with rolling pin; cover and set aside. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping remaining dough pieces covered.

7. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook pancakes, one pair at a time, turning every 30 seconds, until cakes are flecked with brown and feel dry, 2 to 3 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook pancakes or they will become brittle.)

8. Remove pancakes from pan. Separate each pancake into two pancakes while still hot. Stack pancakes on plate; keep covered while cooking remaining pancakes. Fold pancakes into quarters and arrange in serving basket. Serve immediately.

NotePancakes can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen in resealable plastic bags.

1. Pound chicken slightly between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness using flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin. Broil chicken 6 inches from heat source 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Or, grill chicken on covered grill over medium-hot coals 10 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl; add to juice mixture, stirring until thickened. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in orange segments and cilantro. Serve chicken over rice; top with sauce. Garnish as desired.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to scatter or put out or otherwise distribute on his premises within the city any poison in any form or manner whatsoever which is or may likely be sufficiently lethal or of such strength as to cause death to any animal or [...]

IC 15-2.1-21-13 Birds or rabbits; sale restricted; exception; discoloring prohibited Sec. 13. (a) A person who sells: (1) a bird under the age of three (3) weeks; or (2) a rabbit under the age of two (2) months; commits a Class B misdemeanor. This subsection does not apply to commercial breeders or distributors whose facilities [...]

(a) During the period from January 15th to May 15th of each and every year, it shall be unlawful for any person to permit any animal or fowl manure, excrement or other fly breeding material to remain on or at his premises for a period [...]

Except as provided in this chapter, no person shall possess, keep, maintain or have in his possession or under his control, within the city, any elephant, bear, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, lion, tiger, leopard, panther, ocelot, lynx, cougar, wolf, alligator, fox, raccoon, coyote, monkey, ape, chimpanzee, birds of prey, poisonous reptile, other dangerous or [...]

Weird and dumb animal laws USA

AlaskaIt is illegal to shove a live moose out of an airplane whilst in flight.

ArizonaDonkeys must not be allowed sleep in bathtubs.

ArkansasIt is unlawful to walk a cow down Main Street after 1:00 PM on Sunday.

CaliforniaAnimals must not be allowed to mate publicly within 500 yards of a tavern, school, or place of worship.

ColoradoIt is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence of alcohol.

ConnecticutAny Dogs bearing tattoos must be reported to police.

FloridaElephants tethered to a parking meter will be charged the same as it would for a vehicle.

GeorgiaGoldfish must not be given away as an incentive to play of bingo.

IdahoIt is illegal to fish from a camel's back.

IndianaIt is illegal to pass a horse on the street.

IowaHorses must not eat fire hydrants.

KansasShooting rabbits from motorboats is illegal

KentuckyIt is illegal to dye a duckling blue for the purpose of selling it unless more than six are for sale at the same time.

LouisianaStealing an alligator carries a ten year jail sentence.

MaineDeer must not be fed.

MarylandTaking a lion to the cinema is illegal

MassachusettsGorillas are not allowed in the back seat of any car.

MichiganKilling a dog using a decompression chamber is illegal

MinnesotaEntering Wisconsin with a chicken upon ones head is illegal.

MississippiStabling of Horses within 50 feet of any road is illegal

MissouriIt is illegal to provide alcohol to elephants.

MontanaIt is illegal to carry sheep in the cab of a truck without a chaperone.

NebraskaWhale fishing is illegal

NevadaIt is illegal to drive a camel on the public highway

New HampshireAny cattle that crosses state roads must be fitted with a diaper type device to gather its feces

New JerseyDetaining or causing delay to a homing pigeon is illegal.

New MexicoIt is prohibited to hunt in the Mountain View Cemetery.

North CarolinaElephants may not be deployed to plough cotton fields.

OhioIt is illegal to display coloured chickens for the purpose of selling.

OklahomaIt is illegal to have the hind legs of any farm animal in your boots.

OregonCanned corn must not to be used for fishing bait.

PennsylvaniaMotorist seeing horses coming in their direction must pull off the road, cover camouflage his car with a blanket or canvas in order that it blends in with the countryside until the horses pass.

Rhode Island Racing a horse over any public highway, or testing the of the horse is illegal.

South CarolinaHorses must not be kept in bathtubs.

South DakotaHorses are not allowed in the Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.

TennesseeShoot any game other than whales from a moving vehicle is illegal

TexasIt is illegal to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel.

UtahBirds have the right of way on all public highways.

VermontIt was illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole. (Repealed)

VirginiaOnly raccoons may be hunted and then only until 2:00 AM

West VirginiaRoad kill can be picked up and taken for supper.

WisconsinLivestock have the right-of-way on public roads.

WyomingYou may not take a photograph of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit.